BROCKTON – It’s the kind of abuse that can go unnoticed for long periods of time while victims often suffer in silence.

Elder abuse continues to be a hidden problem but is more prevalent than people realize, said Janice Fitzgerald, director for the Brockton Council on Aging.

The non-profit group strives to raise continued awareness around the issue of elder abuse and neglect, she said.

The March Against Elder Abuse will be held next Friday at the Council on Aging, 10 Father Kenney Way.

The event is in partnership with the Administration on Aging and HarborOne Bank.

The noon walk will begin at the agency’s headquarters, down Main Street, and end at Old Colony Elder Services, another event sponsor, at 144 Main St.

It’s the second year for the event. Purple ribbons, the organization’s symbol for elder abuse advocacy, will be distributed. A barbeque cookout at the Council on Aging will follow.

Elder abuse can come in various forms. “Elder abuse isn’t just physical, it’s self neglect and also financial exploitation,” said Fitzgerald.

Financial exploitation and abuse of the elderly and disabled have become more common in recent times as more people look for ways to deal with a sluggish economy, said Patty Pomerleau, home care program director for HESSCO Elder Services in Sharon.

The advocacy organization was alerted by relatives of a 62-year-old cerebral palsy patient, from Sharon, who for several years had thousands of dollars pilfered from her by her caregiver, Brockton woman Prisca Halaby and her husband, Dominique, according to prosecutors.

In another case, in Stoughton, 48-year-old Sandra Lucien-Calixte was charged in February with permitting serious injury to an elderly woman.

The victim, a 75-year-old woman, was found covered with sores, malnourished and dehydrated in a cold basement under the care of Lucien-Calixte, according to police.